Research design

Recap
Step 1: Identify and define the Problem or
Opportunity
Step 2: Define the Marketing Research Problem
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• Focus on symptoms
• Action oriented
• Focus on causes
• Data oriented

Problem Formulation and Approach
• Understanding the managerial decision
problem/opportunity
• Translate into research objective(s) (what
information is needed)
• Pose the right research questions
• State questions in terms of hypotheses
• Know what information is needed

The Marketing Research Process
PROBLEM FORMULATION
RESEARCH DESIGN
•Exploratory, Descriptive, Causal
•Primary/Secondary data
DATA COLLECTION
DATA ANALYSIS
RESEARCH REPORT
Today’s
Focus
DEVELOP AN APPROACH

Step 3: Specify the Research Design
What type of research is going to be used and the
source(s) of the data.
For example, deciding between exploratory,
experimental, or descriptive research

Research Design
• Definition
– A framework or blueprint for conducting the marketing
research project
• Components
– Information needed
– Data collection methods
– Measurement and scaling procedures
– Sampling process and sample size
– Data analysis procedures

A Broad Classification of
Marketing Research Designs
Research Design
Exploratory
Research
Design
Secondary
Research
Qualitative
Research
Conclusive
Research
Design
Descriptive
Research
Causal
Research

Exploratory Research
What are its characteristics?
Research is flexible and unstructured
Findings tentative
Used as building block for more research
e.g. pilot surveys, secondary data, focus groups
Done on a small non-representative sample
Why is it used?
When looking for insights into the problem
To help define hypotheses and key variables
To identify alternative courses of action
 When Information needs vague
 For Establishing priorities for further research

Exploratory Research Cont’d
What Methods Are Used?
secondary data
qualitative research
focus groups
case studies
When is it done?
 Generally initial research conducted to
clarify and define the nature of a problem
What is it’s main limitation?
Does not provide conclusive evidence Subsequent research
expected

Conclusive Research
Characteristics
 inflexible, versatile
 Results conclusive
 Research formal and structured
Used when information needs clearly defined
Why is it Used?
 to provide decision maker with the information needed to
make sound decision
 Testing hypotheses and insights and examining relationships

Conclusive
Research
Design
Descriptive
Research
Causal
Research

Descriptive Research
What is the Objective?
To describe something, e.g. Target market population
characteristics
What are its characteristics?
 Problem well understood
 Tests specific hypotheses
 Formal and structured
Large representative samples
 Provides a snapshot of the market environment

What Methods are Used?
• Surveys (primary data)
• panels
• scanner data (secondary data)
When Used?
• Often a follow-up to exploratory research

Examples:
 Market segmentation studies, i.e., describe characteristics
of various groups, size of market, buying power of consumers.
 Determining perceptions of company or product
characteristics
 Price and promotion elasticity studies
 Product usage studies that describe consumption patterns
 Sale potential studies for particular geographic region or
population segment,
Advertising studies that describe media consumption habits
and audience profiles for specific television programs and
magazines

Descriptive Research Designs
• Two types of designs
– Cross-sectional designs
• Involves collection of information from sample of
respondents only once
• Could have a single cross-sectional design (only
one sample) or multiple cross-sectional design
(many samples of respondents)
• Most popular design in marketing research
• Example: Sample surveys

Descriptive Research Designs
(contd.)
• Longitudinal Designs
– A fixed sample of the population is measured
repeatedly, i.e., same respondents studied
over time
– Large amounts of data can be collected but
can be expensive
– Useful for tracking changes in consumer
attitudes and behavior over time
– Example: Diary panel data

Causal Research
What is the objective of causal research?
 To obtain information regarding cause and effect
relationships
Characteristics?
Independent variable manipulated in a relatively
controlled environment
Main method is experiment
Used to understand which variables are causes
(independent variables), and which variables are the effects
(dependent variables)

Uncertainty Influences The Type Of Research
COMPLETELY CERTAIN ABSOLUTE AMBIGUITY
Exploratory Research
(Unaware of Problem)
“Our sales are declining and
we don’t know why.”
“Would people be interested
in our new product idea?”
(Aware of Problem)
“What kind of people are
buying our product?
Who buys our
competitor’s product?”
“What features do
buyers prefer in our
product?”
Causal Research
(Problem Clearly Defined)
“Will buyers purchase more of
our products in a new package?
“Which of two advertising
campaigns is more effective?”
CAUSAL OR
DESCRIPTIVE
EXPLORATORY

Understanding
of Problem?
Understanding
of problem?
Good
Poor EXPLORATORY or
SECONDARY
RESEARCH
Need to Yes EXPERIMENT
establish
causality?
No
Objective
answers by
asking?
No
OBSERVATIONAL
RESEARCH
Yes Need estimates Survey
of prevalence?
Yes Need estimates
of prevalence
No
FOCUS GROUPS

Step 4: Develop the Data Collection Procedure
• Decide whether the data will be collected through surveys,
interviews, focus groups, etc.
Step 5: Design the Sampling Procedure
• Decide who will be in the sample, how those people are
selected, and the size of the sample.
Step 6: Collect the Data
• In this step, the researcher goes out and collects the
data or a research supplier collects the data.
Step 7: Process and Analyze the Data
• After collection, the data must be analyzed to see which is
appropriate for the problem.
Step 8: Present the Results
• Create an oral or written presentation of the results of the
study

21
I keep six honest
serving men, (they
taught me all I knew),
their names are what
and why, and when, and
how, and where and
who” --Rudyard
Kipling

WestJet wants to know whether it should expand its flight
offerings into the International Market. In designing a
market research project to provide WestJet with
information to help them decide, answer the following
six questions.
1. Who should be considered?
2. Where should the respondents be contacted to obtain the right
information?
3. When should the information be obtained from respondents
4. What information should be obtained?
5. Why are we obtaining the information from the respondents
6. What Way are we going to obtain information

Gourmet Cookies in SW Calgary is planning
on launching a new line of cookies and
wants to assess the market size. The
cookies are a mixed-chocolate-pineapple
flavour and will be targeted at the
premium end of the market
1. What is the management decision
problem?
2. What is the marketing research problem
3. What might be some specific research
questions for this problem?
4. How would you go about researching
these questions?

DATA SOURCES
Secondary Primary
Internal External

Secondary Data
Data gathered and recorded by someone else prior to and
for a purpose other than the current project.
Is often:
• Historical
• Already assembled
• Needs no access to subjects or respondents

Common Research Objectives
for Secondary Data Research
Fact Finding - Identifying consumption patterns
- Tracking trends
Model building - Estimating market potential
- Forecasting sales
- Selecting trade areas and sites
Data Base - Development of Prospect Lists
Marketing - Enhancement of Customer Lists

Advantages of Secondary Data
 Inexpensive
 Obtained Rapidly
 Information is not Otherwise Accessible
Can Provide Insights for more formal research

Disadvantages of Secondary
Data
 Uncertain Accuracy
 Data Not Consistent with Needs
 Inappropriate Units of Measurement
 Time Period Inappropriate (Dated)

Evaluating Secondary Data
Does the data help to
answer questions
set out in the
problem definition?
Does the data apply to
the time period of
interest?
Does the data apply to
the population of
interest?
Applicability
to project
objectives

Evaluating Secondary Data (continued)
Do the other terms
and variable
classifications
presented apply?
Are the units of
measurement
comparable?
If possible, go to the
original source of the
data?
Applicability
to project
objectives
Accuracy
of the data

Evaluating Secondary Data (continued)
Is the cost of data
acquisition worth it?
Accuracy
of the data
Is there a possibility
of bias?
Can the accuracy of
data collection be
verified?

Internal Data
Accounting information
Sales information
Backorders
Customer complaints

Data Mining
The automated
extraction of hidden
predictive
information from
large databases
E.g. Blockbuster mines
its video rental history
database to recommend
rentals to individual
customers

External Data
Created, recorded, or generated by an
entity other than the researcher’s
organization.

Sources of External Data
Libraries
The Internet
Vendors
Producers
Books and periodicals
Government
Trade associations
Newspapers and journals

Commercial Sources
 Attitude and public opinion research—syndicated
services report the findings of opinion polls
 Consumption and purchase behavior data
 Advertising research—readership and audience
data
 Market share data companies like A.C. Nielsen
provide information about sales volume and brand
share over time

A Local health food store is interested in opening a branch
near the SAIT campus.
1. What is your management problem?
2. What is the Research Problem?
3. What information would be needed
4. What Secondary sources of information are available to
help you decide whether to open such a store
5. Summarize the data that would bear on their decision
on whether or not to open such a store.

You have decided to open a new retail store in Calgary that
will sell personal computers and software.
What information do you need to help you determine where
to locate?
What secondary data are available to help you decide where
to locate the store?

Research design

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